Magazine and feed means for stapling machines



Dec. 13, 1955 E. J. PILBLAD 2,726,391

MAGAZI [NE AND FEED MEANS FOR STAPLING MACHINES Filed Sept. 13, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR. I ERIC J7 P/Lauw BY and E. J. PILBLAD Dec. 13, 1955 MAGAZINE AND FEED MEANS FOR STAPLING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1952 INVENTOR. EE/C f P/LBLAD United States Patent MAGAZINE AND FEED MEANS FOR STAPLING MACHINES Eric J. Pilblad, Upper Montclair, N. J., assignor to Lou Obstfeld, Brooklyn, N. Y., and Abraham Obstfeld, New York, N. Y.

This invention relates to staple driving machines, and more particularly to a hand-operated machine of the desk type. The general object of the present invention is to improve such machines.

The machine here disclosed is of the type having a magazine with a staple core which may be moved or turned out of the magazine for staple loading purposes or for inspection and repair. The staples are urged forward by a staple slide by means of a feed spring surrounding a feed spring rod.

One object of the present invention is to provide a brake or safety device to hold the staple slide against forward movement when the core is moved out of the magazine. It has already been proposed to employ a slide lock to hold the slide in rearmost position while a new supply of staples is being placed on the staple core. The present machine employs such a slide lock, but in addition provides a brake which will arrest forward movement of the slide at any point along the staple core. This brake is automatically released when the core is moved back into the magazine.

In accordance with a further feature and object of the invention, the magazine is provided with resilient means normally urging the core to outward or open position. This facilitates loading the machine, for it is merely necessary to release the latch which holds the core in the magazine, whereupon the core moves out to open position.

Another object of the invention centers about the raising spring, that is the spring Which normally raises the stapling arm or staple driving assembly relative to the base. In the present machine the core as well as the magazine are of inverted U section, and in accordance with the present invention the raising spring is a leaf springwhich may be disposed in the base of the machine and which bears upwardly on a U-shaped element, the upper ends of which bear against the lower edges of the magazine at a point forward of the pivot. Thus the force of the raising spring is applied through the U-shaped element to the magazine, and so to the entire stapling arm assembly.

Still another object of the invention is to facilitate separation of the stapling arm from the base for socalled tacking purposes. For this purpose the main pivot pin is received in bearing plates having bearing slots which are open at the top, and the pin is held downward by a U-shaped spring member, the arms of which receive the pin within the staple core. In accordance with the present invention the assembly is additionally provided with a stop disposed rearwardly of the pivot pin and beneath the magazine in such position that it serves two purposes. One is to limit the upward movement of the stapling arm under the infiuence of the raising spring. The other is to act as a fulcrum against which the arm may be purposely raised to disengage the pivot pin from the U-shaped spring holding the same, thus affording ready release of the stapling arm from the base.

Still another object of the invention centers about the guide channel for the staple driving blade. This includes an outer wear plate which is held inward by means of a slightly bowed flat spring, which in turn is held in position by a smaller flat plate disposed outside the spring. The parts are readily assembled and are held in assembled relation by the force of the spring itself. Because of the spring the staple channel is slightly yieldable, thus minimizing staple jams and making possible a self-clearing action in the event of a jam.

Still another object of the invention centers about the formation of the operating handle or cover which preferably nearly completely encloses the staple driving mechanism in streamlined fashion. This requires a deeply hollowed member which, if molded wholly of plastic, would lack strength and which, if drawn wholly out of metal, would require a deep drawing operation. In the present case attractive appearance and economical manufacture are combined with strength by forming the end and side walls out of heavy gauge sheet metal and closing the top by means of a molded plastic piece, the peripheralv edge of which is so shaped and inwardly stepped or recessed as to receive the metal sides with a flush, smooth, streamlined fit.

To accomplish the foregoing objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the staple driver elements, and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a staple driving machine embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a partially sectioned detail of the driving blade and the parts forming the staple drive channel;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the forward end of the staple core drawn to enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is atransverse section taken approximately in the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken approximately in the plane of the line 5'-5 of Fig. 3, with the magazine added, and showing the relationship between the magazine and the core and the means whereby the rod is deflected;

Fig. 6 is a partially sectioned elevation with the rear end or pivot portion of the stapling arm, with the core separated from the magazine;

Fig. 7 is a similar view, with the core received within the magazine;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken approximately in the plane of the line 88 of Fig. 10, showing a section of the magazine and the raising spring and the yoke contacting the magazine;

Fig. 9 is a section taken approixmately in the plane of the line 9-9 of Fig. 6, showing the spring means which is used to force the core out of the magazine;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section taken in elevation through the stapling machine;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary transverse section through the operating handle or cover of the machine, taken approximately in the plane of the line 1111 of Fig. 10, and showing how the cover is attached to the sides;

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the wear plate assemy;

Fig. 13 shows the open-ended bearing slots in the base brackets whereby the pivot pin and magazine may be detached from the base;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a stop used in the machine for limiting the upward movement of the stapling arm; and

Fig. 15 is a section taken approximately in the plane of the line 1515 of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 1, the staple driving machine comprises a base 12 having a staple driving arm or assembly 14 pivoted on the base at a pivot pin 16. The arm 14 comprises a magazine 18 and a cover 19, these being relatively pivoted, preferably by the same pivot 16. The staple driving blade is actuated by a driver lever 20 (Fig. 10), which in turn is actuated by depression of the cover or handle 19. Base 12 may be provided with the conventional anvil or clinch plate 22, and the latter may be slidabie to different positions, one of which turns the legs of the staples inwardly, and another of which turns the legs outwardly.

Referring now to Fig. 10 of the drawing, the maga zine 18 carries a staple core 24. The magazine 18 is of inverted U section, as shown in Fig. 5, and the core 24 is similarly of inverted U section, the two serving to form a staple guide channel therebetween, and the said channel conforming to the shape of the staples used by the machine. In the present case the staple 25 has one perpendicular and one sloping leg, but the features of the invention may be used with staples of other configuration, including, of course, an ordinary staple having both legs parallel to one another and perpendicular to the top of the staple, in which case the magazine and core preferably would be similarly shaped.

Reverting to Fig. 10, the magazine further includes a staple slide 28 which is urged forward by a feed spring 30. This is a helical compression spring which surrounds and is guided by the rod 32. The core may be turned downwardly out of the magazine about the main pivot pin 16 previously referred to, to permit the loading of staples on to the core. The core is normally held in raised or closed position by means of appropriate latch mechanism, which in the present case comprises an inverted U-shaped member, the sides of which form latch arms 34 having hooks 36 which engage beneath outwardly projecting cars 38 carried by apertures in the core and projecting beyond the core. The latch arms 34 are urged forwardly by means of a heavy spring wire 40 coiled about pin 42, and the other arm of which urges the lever driver 20 upwardly. This particular feature is not claimed herein, it being disclosed and claimed in a copending application of Saul Lester, Serial No. 183,777, filed September 8, 1950, and issued on October 19, 1954 as U. S. Letters Patent 2,691,778.

When the core is to be loaded with staples the core is turned downward from the magazine to an approxi mate right angle completely exposing the core and the slide 28 is then pushed rearwardly until locked in retracted position by means of a slide lock. The sides of the slide are slightly roughened on the outside to facilitate sliding it rearward. In the present case the slide lock consists of a leaf spring 44, the upturned end 46 of which is riveted in position at the same time that the rear end of rod 32 is riveted in position as shown at 48 (Fig. 10), these parts being secured to a downi turned wall of an angle member 50 which straddles the rear end of the staple core, as is best shown in Figs. 6 and 15. The slide lock 44 has ears 45 (Figs. 6 and 7), projecting sidewardly therefrom which are depressed to release the slide when the magazine is closed. It has a detent tooth 52 struck upwardly therefrom (Fig. 10), and when the magazine is open this detent rises and is received in a mating window or slot punched through the bottom wall 54 of slide 28. It may be explained that the slide has the usual top and side walls which conform to the shape of the staple and which urge the staples forward. In addition, at the rear end of the slide one of the side walls is extended downward and bent sideward to form the bottom wall 54 which underlies the staple core. Moreover, the forward end of this bottom wall is turned upwardly, as indicated at 56 in Figs. 3 and 10, and apertured at 58 (Fig. 4) to receive the rod 32 for a reason next explained.

Ordinarily the rod 32 is a fixed rod, but in the present case it is movable laterally and, more specifically, upward. This movement is employed to apply a braking action to the slide 28. In the specific case here shown the braking action is obtained by moving the rod upwardly in a tapered or wedge-shaped hole, the shape of the said hole being shown at 58 in Fig. 4. It will be evident that this binds or brakes the slide against further forward movement.

To displace the rod 32 upward the forward end is carried in a spacer 60. The shape of the spacer is best shown in Fig. 5, and it will be seen that the main center portion is dimensioned to fit within the side walls of the staple core 24. There are sidewardly projecting cars 62 which are received in vertical slots 64 (Fig. 3) in the side walls of the core. A leaf spring 66 bears upwardly on spacer 60 and normally tends to raise the rod 32. The mounting of this leaf spring is best shown in Fig. 3, in which it will be seen that the stationary end 68 of the spring is wrapped about and held by a cross bar 38 which acts also to provide the outwardly projecting cars 38 previously referred to as cooperating with the latch 34. The spring is a generally U-shaped cantilever spring, the free end of which urges the spacer and rod upwardly, thereby braking the staple slide or pusher 28 against movement when the core is turned downwardly out of the magazine.

However, when the core is pushed upward into position within the magazine so that the ears 38 are received by the latch 34, the side walls of the magazine engage the cars 62 (Fig. 5) of the spacer 6%, thus moving the spacer, and with it the rod 32, downward to its normal position, at which time it is preferably parallel to the staple core. At this time the rod is received in the lower or enlarged end of the hole 58, and the staple slide 28 is free for movement along the core. Thus the machine has means automatically responsive to movement of the core into the magazine for releasing the brake means.

To release the core from the magazine the latch 34 (Figs. 1 and 10) is pulled rearwardly. This unlocks the core and in accordance with the present invention the core is moved downward by resilient means as soon as the latch is released. In Figs. 6, 7 and 9 attention is directed to the leaf spring 79. The stationary end is riveted in position on the magazine part 18 by means of a rivet 72, and the spring is backed up by a spring 74. The free end of spring 70 is turned downward and bears directly against the top of the staple core. This pressure is applied at a point forward of the pivot 16 and thus serves to move the staple core downward from the relatively raised position shown in Figs. 7 and 10 to the relatively lowered position shown in Figs. 6 and 9. It will be understood that the top wall of the magazine is cut away at this point, as shown in Fig. 9.

The stapling arm assembly is raised between stapling operations by means of a raising spring shown at 76 in Fig. 10. This spring is secured to the base of the machine, and in the present case is mounted in generally horizontal position beneath the top wall of the base and is housed within the hollow space formed by the base of the machine. The rivet 78 which secures the stationary end of the spring also secures the bottom wall 80 of a U-sectioned or U-shaped member, the sides 82 (Fig. 13) of which act as the main bearings for the pivot pin 16. The integral formation of these bearing walls 82 with the bottom wall 8 is shown in Fig. 8, which also shows the raising spring 76.

To apply the force of the raising spring to the magazine a U-shaped member 84 is interposed, and referring to Figs. 8 and 10 it will be seen that the upper ends 86 of the U-shaped member 84 come directly beneath the lower edges of the inverted channel shaped magazine part 18. The member 84 is vertically slidable through mating slots 88 in the bearing member, and the upward movement of member 84 is limited when the bottom of the member reaches the bottom part 80 of the bearing member, as shown in Fig. 8. At this time the stapling arm is in the raised position shown in Figs. 1 and of the drawing. When the machine is operated the arm is depressed and the raising spring 76 (Fig. 10) moves downward slightly to accommodate the operating movement.

It is desirable to additionally limit upward movement of the stapling arm as, for example, if the machine is picked up by means of the cover 14, it is desired to prevent the base from falling away from the stapling arm. For this purpose I provide a stop, indicated at.

90 in Figs. 7, 10 and 14 of the drawing. This stop is an L-shaped member which is mounted on the base with its upper edge disposed as shown so that it is somewhat to the rear of the pivot 16. The stop edge is so located as to butt against the core 24, during its rotary motion on pivot 16, so as to limit the rise of the stapling arm if the machine is picked up by the arm. It may also act as a stop against the action of the raising spring 76 previously referred to, this being a matter of proportioning of the parts to determine which of the two stop actions should take place first. In the present case the design is such that they take place with very little play or lost motion therebetween.

The stop 90 serves an additional function in acting as a fulcrum to facilitate separating the stapling arm from the base. Thus the staple driving machine may be used as a so-called tacker by avoidinguse of the anvil or clincher plate 22, and in the present machine the stapling arm is fully separated from the base. To provide a detachable mounting, the bearings in the main bearing plates 82 previously referred to are slotted bearings which are open at the top, as is clearly shown at 92 in Fig. 13. The pin 16 is held downward in bearing slots 92 by means of a U-shaped take-apart or retainer spring shown at 94 in Figs. 7 and 10. The'lower end of the spring 94 is narrowed somewhat, as shown at 96 (Fig. 15), and passes through the opening 98 (Fig. 14) in the bottom wall of the stop member 90. The lower end of the spring then further passes through a mating hole in the bottom wall 80 of the bearing member, and the spring is then locked in position by passing a fiat key 100 transversely through the lower end of the spring. Thus the key holds the spring 94, the stop member 90, and the base of the machine in assembled relation.

It will be evident from inspection of Figs. 7 and 10 of the drawing that if the stapling arm, including the core, is pulled forcibly upward it will pivot about the stop member 90 acting as a fulcrum, and thus pull the pivot pin 16 upwardly from its retainer spring 94. The stapling arm then may be used as a tacker. To reassemble the stapling arm and the base it is merely necessary to place the stapling arm over the bearing. plates 82 until. the pin 16 enters the open-ended bearing slots 92, following which the rear end of the stapling arm may be forced downward until the pin snaps beneath the inturned upper ends of the retainer spring 94.

Much of the staple driving mechanism is conventional and requires no detailed description. The magazine 18 is surmounted by a driver frame 102 (Fig. 10) which is U-shaped in section, with its bottom wall riveted at 104 to the top wall of the magazine. The driver arm is pivoted at 42 between the side walls of the frame 102. The staple driving blade 106 is slidably housed between an inner wear plate 108 and an outer wear plate 110, the latter being channeled or outwardly recessed to receive the driver blade 106. A finger 112 projects forwardly from the driver lever 20 into a mating slot in the driver blade to actuate the same. The operating arm or cover 19 is operatively connected to the driver lever 20 by means of a cross pin 114. The ends of the cross pin are received in holes in the side walls of the cover 19, and the center of the cross pin may be reduced at the lever 20 to hold the pin against axial movement. The pin 114 is received 124 is apertured at the same point.

6 in a slot 116 formed in the lever 20. Stroke control mechanism, indicated at 120 in Fig. 10, may be provided to insure completion of each operating stroke. The stroke control mechanism may be of conventional type and forms no part of the present invention.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 12 it will be seen that the side plates of the driver frame 102 are extended for wardly to form four arms 122. The inner and outer wear plates are received between the arms 122, and the outer wear plate is urged inward by a bowed leaf spring 124. This in turn is held by a fiat plate 126 dimensioned to slide across the arms 122, the ends of which are notched to form retainer hooks, as will be clear from inspection of the drawing. In consequence the effective staple drive channel of the machine is a yieldable one which may open somewhat under severe stress, as, for example, if a staple is somewhat thicker than its proper dimension, or if a staple is jammed on top of another. To guard against possibility of the spring 124 slipping downward, it and the plate 126 may be matingly indented as shown at 128. More specifically, the plate 126 is indented from the outside toward the inside at the point 128, and the spring The hole in spring 124 receives the projection or dot 12S, and this anchors the spring 124 against unintended vertical movement.

The handle or cover 19 is made up of both metal and molded plastic. More specifically, the front end wall 130 and the side walls 132 are made of a single piece of heavy sheet metal which is bent to U-shaped configuration when viewed in plan. This metal provides holes for the main pivot pin 16 and the operating pin 114, thus assuring long wear. The top is closed by means of a molded plastic piece 134. This is molded with considerable depth of side wall 136, as will be clear from inspection of Figs. 10 and 11, and the side wall is stepped or recessed to receive the metal sides 132 with a smooth, flush fit. The parts are permanently secured together by means of a suitable number-in this case four rivets, two at each side, indicated at 138. There are sturdy cross webs 140, in this case three, to strengthen the molded plastic top. These webs are molded integrally with the top, the latter being a single piece of molded plastic combined with a single piece of sheet metal, as previously described.

The metal base is provided with molded rubber supports at each end, these being secured in position by means of a metal plate secured upwardly against the recessed bottom of the rubber by means of a rivet or like fastener, as clearly shown in the drawing, particularly Figs. 7 and 10.

T o assemble the staple driving machine the pin 114 is placed in the cover 19. The core is placed in the magazine, and these two are placed in the cover, but in such a way that the slot 116 of the driver arm 20 moves into position at the necked center portion of the driver pin 114. The six bearing holes of the core, the magazine, and the cover are all aligned, whereupon the pivot pin 16 is slid axially into position. It is then held against axial movement by means of ordinary split spring washers which are forced transversely across the pin at grooves or undercuts formed near the ends of the pin. One of these washers is shown at 142 in Fig. 1.

This assembly as so far described may be used as a tacker. To assemble it with the base it is merely necessary to place the assembly over the bearings on the base, with cross pin 16 entering the open-topped slots 92, following which the rear portion of the stapling arm assembly is pushed forcibly downward to spread the anchoring spring 94 which then holds the arm and base in assembled relation.

It is believed that the method of constructing and using my improved staple driving machine, as well as the many advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will also be apparent thatlwhile I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A staple driving machine comprising a staple magazine having a staple core received in said magazine and movable outwardly therefrom for staple loading or other purpose, a staple feed slide movable along said core, a compression feed spring extending longitudinally of said core for moving said slide, a feed spring rod passing through said spring and a part of said slide, a spacer to normally hold said rod in proper location, a brake spring operatively related to said rod and urging said rod to a laterally offset position in order to inhibit forward movement of the slide despite the influence of the feed spring, and said magazine having parts bearing against said spacer to move said spacer and with it said rod to brake releasing position when the core is received within the magazine, said spacer and with it said rod being freed for movement to laterally offset position by the brake spring when the core is moved out of the magazine for loading or other purpose.

2. A staple driving machine comprising a staple magazine having a staple core received in said magazine and movable outwardly therefrom for staple loading or other purpose, a staple feed slide movable along said core, a compression feed spring extending longitudinally of said core for moving said slide, a feed spring rod passing through said spring and a part of said slide, a spacer to normally hold said rod in proper location, a brake spring operatively related to said rod and urging said rod to offset position in order to inhibit forward movement of the slide despite the influence of the feed spring, and said magazine having parts bearing against said spacer to move said spacer and with it said rod to brake releasing position when the core is received within the magazine, said spacer and with it said rod being freed for movement to laterally offset position by the brake spring when the core is moved out of the magazine for loading or other purpose, said slide having a hole receiving said feed spring rod, and said hole tapering in the direction of offset urged by the brake spring, whereby the rod wedges in the hole when moved by the brake spring and is braked thereby.

3. A staple driving machine comprising a staple magazine having a staple core pivoted thereto at its rear end and received in said magazine and movable downwardly therefrom for staple loading or other purpose, a staple feed slide movable along said core, a compression feed spring extending longitudinally within said core for moving said slide, a feed spring rod passing through said spring and a part of said slide, a brake spring operatively related to said rod and urging the forward end of said rod upwardly to inhibit forward movement of the slide under the influence of the feed spring, a spacer holding the forward end of said rod and having sidewardly projecting ears, said magazine having parts bearing against said ears to move said spacer and with it said rod downward to brake-releasing position when the core is received within the magazine, said spacer and with it said rod being freed for movement by the brake spring when the core is lowered from the magazine whereby the brake action is applied.

4. A staple driving machine comprising a staple magazine having a staple core pivoted thereto at its rear end and received in said magazine and movable downwardly therefrom for staple loading or other purpose, a staple feed slide movable along said core, a compression feed spring extending longitudinally within said core for moving said slide, a feed spring rod passing through said spring and a part of said slide, a brake spring operatively related to said rod and urging the forward end of said rod upwardly to inhibit forward movement of the slide under the influence of the feed spring, a spacer holding the forward end of said rod and having sidewardly projecting ears, said magazine having parts bearing against said ears to move said spacer and with it said rod downward to brake-releasing'position when the core is received within the magazine, said spacer and with it said rod being freed for movement by the brake spring when the core is moved downwardly relative to the magazine, said slide having a hole receiving said feed spring rod, and said hole tapering upwardly, whereby the rod wedges in the hole and is braked thereby when moved upward by the brake spring.

5. A staple driving machine comprising a staple magazine having a staple core received in said magazine and pivoted at its rear end for movement out of the magazine for staple loading or other purpose, a staple feed slide on said core, a latch operatively related to the core and magazine to normally hold the core in the magazine, and a core ejection spring operatively related to the core and magazine for moving the core out of the magazine when the latch is released.

6. A staple driving machine comprising a staple magazine having a staple core received in said magazine and pivoted at its rear end for movement out of the magazine for staple loading or other purpose, a staple feed slide on said core, a latch operatively related to the core and magazine to normally hold the core in the magazine, and a core ejection spring operatively related to the core and magazine for moving the core out of the magazine when the latch is released, said latch being located near the forward end of the core, said spring being located near the rear end of the core, and said spring being a leaf spring mounted on top of the magazine and having its free end turned downward to bear directly against the top of the core at a point forward of the pivot of the core but rearward of the feed slide.

7. In a staple driving machine which is generally conventional in having a staple magazine with a staple core received in said magazine and which core may be moved out of the magazine for staple loading or other purpose, and in having a staple feed slide and a feed spring to move said slide, and in having a feed spring rod passing through a hole in said slide, a brake means for preventing movement of the said slide when the core is moved out of the magazine, said brake means including a brake spring operatively related to the feed spring rod for urging the feed spring rod laterally relative to the slide, said hole in said slide tapering in the direction of force of the brake spring and thereby binding the slide against movement when the rod is permitted to move laterally in said tapering hole, and means operatively related to the core and magazine and responsive to movement of said core out of said magazine to permit said rod to move laterally so that the brake action takes effect.

8. In a staple driving machine which is generally conventional in having a staple magazine with a staple core received in said magazine and which core may be moved out of the magazine for staple loading or other purpose, and in having a staple feed slide and a feed spring to move said slide, a resilient brake means operatively related to the slide and normally seeking to prevent forward movement of said slide at any point along the core, means operatively related to the core andmagazine and automatically responsive to movement of the core into the magazine for opposing said resilient means and thereby releasing said brake means and so affording forward movement of the slide by the feed spring, and means whereby said latter means is made inoperative when the core is moved out of the magazine.

9. In a staple driving machine which is generally conventional in having a staple magazine with a staple core received in said magazine and which core may be moved out of the magazine for staple loading or other purpose, and in having a staple feed slide and a feed spring to move said slide, and in having a feed spring rod passing through a hole in said slide, a brake means responsive to movement of the core out of the magazine for preventing forward movement of said slide at any point along the core when the core is moved out of the magazine, said brake means including a brake spring operatively related to the I ma! References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Pankonin Feb. 3, 1942 Pankonin Mar. 24, 1942 Hatred Oct. 6, 1942 Maynard Feb. 2, 1943 Heller Oct. 22, 1946 Morano Jan. 13, 1953 

